Social and Gender Structure of Sub-Saharan Africa

1.) Social Classes
  • enormously diversewith over 800 different languages
  • class:ruling elites, military, nobles, administrative officials, religious authorities, wealthy merchants, artisans, business entrpeneurs, common people, peasants and then slaves
  • the above classes apply to kingdoms, empires or any other large city-states in Africa
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* in small states and kinship based societies, religious authorities ranked high
  • the classes worked off of family relations (i.e.:a large family would rule the whole town through the male head.)



2.) Gender Jobs
  • Men undertook heavy labor of preping land and clearing it for cultivation; men also usually were the rulers and people with power
  • Women brought up the family and children, and they did domestic chores
  • Men and Women both planted and harvested crops together
  • although mainly in a man dominated society, women enjoyed high honor, lots of opportunities, some were traders, occasionally they held power positions, and some were even in the military


3.) Slavery
  • slaves stood apart from the other social groups
  • eventually, slaves were traded with in Africa and were just like any other good
  • soon the slaves of course got tired of this and revolted; this revolt was called the Zang Revolt
  • this revolt was successful for a little whilebut then they were crushed after about 10 years

Writen by Devon Fritz
Saeed approves
Approved by: Kristin Naour and Carrie Gedeon